POPE GIVES $100,000 TO AID FLOOD VICTIMS IN VIETNAM

VATICAN CITY, NOV 24, 1999 (VIS) - Pope John Paul has sent $100,000 to help the populations of central Vietnam which have been struck by severe flooding in the past three months, according to a communique released today by the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum."

Archbishop Paul Cordes, council president, gave the money yesterday to Archbishop Jean Baptiste Pham Minh Man of Hochiminhville who is currently in Italy. The Holy Father had already donated $37,000 in September to the flood victims. The money will be distributed to the bishops of the seven most heavily stricken provinces and will serve to acquire essential items such as food, water, blankets and medicines and to assist in rebuilding infrastructures damaged by the floods.

"There is much misery in the world," said Archbishop Cordes in the communique, "but this gesture shows how very close the population of Vietnam is to the Holy Father's heart. His Holiness has been waiting for some time to visit that country and was very saddened by the destruction of schools, churches, dispensaries and homes in one of the poorest areas of Vietnam."

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JOHN PAUL II: PROMOTE THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN SOCIETY

VATICAN CITY, NOV 24, 1999 (VIS) - "Commitment to the advancement of women" was the theme of the Holy Father's catechesis during the general audience held this morning in St. Peter's Square.

The Pope recalled that the book of Genesis affirms that God created both man and woman, thus demonstrating that each is for the other. The fact "that woman is presented as 'a helper fit for him,' should not be understood in the sense that woman is the servant of man, ... rather that she can collaborate with man because she is his perfect counterpart."

John Paul II made reference to the numerous violations of the dignity of women, violations that are an offense to their liberty and femininity, such as "the exploitation of her person and her body," as well as "sexual tourism, the buying and selling of young girls, mass sterilization and, in general, any form of violence in dealings with the opposite sex."

"Today," he continued, "it is more necessary than ever to once more promote the biblical anthropology of relationships. This helps towards authentic understanding of the identity of human individuals in their relations with others, especially between man and woman."

The Pope said that God's paternity, which expresses the reciprocal nature of the Trinity, is to be found at the origin of all paternity and maternity. "The Son of God was made man when the time had fully come, and was born of the Virgin Mary. This fact also throws light on femininity, showing Mary as the model woman wished for by God."

"Consequently, reflection on the role and mission of women is well placed in this year dedicated to the Father, spurring us to a still more decisive commitment so that all the space women occupy in the Church and in Society be recognized."

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 24, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Archbishop Mario Roberto Cassari, apostolic nuncio in the Republic of the Congo.
- Cardinal Camillo Rini, vicar general for the diocese of Rome, accompanied by Bishop Enzo Dieci, auxiliary of Rome for the northern pastoral sector, and Fr. Maurizio Milani, pastor of the parish of Sts. Innocence I, Pope, and Guido, Bishop.

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46,650 KILOWATTS TO ILLUMINE ST. PETER'S BASILICA

VATICAN CITY, NOV 24, 1999 (VIS) - The dome, atrium and newly-restored facade of St. Peter's Basilica, starting on December 17, will be illuminated by 425 projectors and 46,650 kilowatts of power, it was announced during a press conference yesterday afternoon in the Holy See Press Office.

Cardinal Virgilio Noe, president of the Fabric of St. Peter's, which oversees upkeep and maintenance of the nearly 400-year old basilica, made the announcement, together with officials of ACEA, Rome's water and electricity company. ACEA will install the new lighting on St. Peter's, improving on that which they installed for the dome in 1992 and adding new illumination to the skylight, small domes, the tambour, which is a circular wall which supports a dome, and the facade and atrium.

Cardinal Noe explained that "what is being presented today is not merely a lighting system or an operation limited in time to be shelved at the end of the next year. The basilica's facade, atrium and dome will be illuminated so that pilgrims coming to Rome during the Jubilee Year will be able to view the basilica in all its glory. At the same time we want to transmit the same image in coming years to the inhabitants of Rome, in which St. Peter's is a capital monument."

The cardinal archpriest of St. Peter's closed his remarks by anticipating journalists' questions regarding the rumors which have circulated on the basilica's static properties. "In our task as guardians of a heritage that belongs to the whole world, we take the utmost care of the Vatican basilica. It is inconceivable to think that time, money and spiritual efforts are being committed only for enhancing its external image. The structure of the Vatican basilica is safe and sound."

Fulvio Vento, chairman of ACEA, pointed out that the company "has been working in the artistic lighting sector for more than 60 years," illuminating most of Rome's most prominent monuments: the Roman Forum, Castel Sant'Angelo, the Pantheon, the Domus Aurea, once Nero's home, Piazza di Spagna and Capitoline Hill, to name a few.

He said that "the city's monuments usually live by day, but artificial light enables them to live by night. From a technical point of view, we have rejected the idea of spectacularity and dazzling Technicolor in favor of a discreet, soothing light. ... Next December's project ... will bathe in light the exceptional, painstaking renovation of St. Peter's, restoring to the basilica the harmony of its original colors."

Sandro Benedetti, manager of the technical department of the Fabric of St. Peter's, spoke of the "special attention that has always been paid to the appearance and image (of St. Peter's), by day and night" and the "special lighting systems (which) have been devised over the centuries. ... Great interest has always been shown for nighttime illumination, with which St. Peter's was enhanced on the eve of the feast of Saints Peter and Paul and on other occasions, in particular during Holy Years."

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ISLAMIC SOLIDARITY WITH CHRISTIANS ON NAZARETH MOSQUE

VATICAN CITY, NOV 24, 1999 (VIS) - The following declaration was released yesterday afternoon by Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls relative to the decision to authorize a mosque several meters away from the historical Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth and the successive protests by the Christian Churches:

"Last Sunday, the Upper Islamic Council of Jerusalem released a communique in which it declares its opposition to the construction of a mosque next to the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth. By adopting this position, the Upper Islamic Council of Jerusalem has demonstrated its solidarity with the Christian ecclesial authorities in the Holy Land.

"The Israeli government decision seems to lay the foundations for future dispute and tension between the two religious communities, Christian and Islamic. I feel that, in this matter, the political authorities have a great responsibility as, instead of supporting unity, they create the foundations for fomenting dissent."

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